Empty Pages
by Hope-ItsyBitsySpider
Summary: It was a diary left behind and seemingly forgotten. However, as Kurama discovers it and its owner's secrets one-by-one, he learns that fate has intervened in his life once again and cast him into the role of avenger... and rescuer.
1. The Diary

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 1**

**The Diary**

_What's this?_ Kurama thought, pausing on his way home from school when he saw a flash of brown. His eyes swept the area in which he had seen the out-of-place color. He found it in a puddle, all warped leather bindings, crinkled pages and faded printed writing.

Luckily, the small pool of rain water was not very deep, so only the front cover was soaked. On the first page, it announced in worn gold calligraphy 'This Book Belongs To', but the penned name underneath was too diminished for him to decipher. Glancing further into the volume, he discovered that the pages were all empty. Not a character had been written in the diary, aside from the illegible name.

Kurama sighed, disappointed, and after wiping the remaining moisture off of the beat-up cover, he slipped it into his shoulder bag, taking pains to be gentle. He would look over it more thoroughly later, when he arrived home. At least, he hoped he would.

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**

**Well, the first one's finished! After reading the lovely Forthrightly's 'Affinity', I decided I'm going to try writing a respectable KagKur. Most of the ones I come up with are one-shots. And those are just random ideas. I'm actually trying to coordinate this one.**

**Each drabble is 200 words long exactly. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright), so...**

**Prompt no. 9, 'What's This?'**

**In an aside, check out 'Affinity', as well as Forthright/Forthrightly's other brilliant fics! She's an amazing author and deserves your love!**


	2. Figure it Out

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 2**

**Figure it Out**

Kurama was certain he was missing something. Why would the diary be empty? Wouldn't the person have written at least _some_thing in it? Aside from their name, of course. Which he still couldn't read. With a slightly irritated sigh, Kurama set the leather book down on his desk and picked up a rose, running his fingers gently along it's petals. There had to be some trick to it, he decided. Something that made it work for the writer, and would thus make it work for him.

He just couldn't figure out _what_.

He had tried a number of incantations, herbs, tricks with his yoki... Nothing worked. He frowned in annoyance down at the warped leather cover. Maybe he was going at this the wrong way. Perhaps it just wouldn't work for demons? He sighed and tapped his fingers against the desk on which the book sat. But if that were the case, his human shell should be enough to disguise his true form. It certainly did for everyone else...

Kurama groaned. Everyone else. Who was he kidding? This was a _book_! There had to be something he was missing. If only he could figure out what that something was.

**This is drabble 2, using prompt no. 27, 'A Trick to It'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright). Feel free to drop a prompt my way! Nothing longer than 3 words, please.**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**


	3. Blood

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 3**

**Blood**

Kurama dropped the diary back down onto his desk, letting out a frustrated noise that wasn't quite a breath but hadn't entirely escaped it either. This was impossible, he decided. Completely and utterly impossible. There was just no way... Maybe he really _was_ being a bit silly, as Hiei had accused earlier, in thinking it was enchanted, even if he could clearly feel the magic coming off of it like reek.

But the kitsune shook his head. _No_, he thought firmly. No, he wasn't going to give up.

Determined, Kurama sat down to contemplate it for a moment, toying with a pocket knife Yusuke had decided Kurama needed while he thought his options over. He was pondering any spells he hadn't tried when the blade of the knife slipped, slicing into his thumb. He hissed and dropped it, blood splattering across the desktop. While he pressed a finger against the shallow wound, he watched in shock as the little drop of blood that had landed on the open pages of the book sank into the worn paper.

Finally, _finally_, he thought with elation as, slowly, a word appeared on the top of the right page in fresh, dark kanji.

_More_.

**This is drabble 3, using prompt no. 47, 'Finally'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, **_**no more**_**. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright). Feel free to drop a prompt my way! Nothing longer than 3 words, please.**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**


	4. Addiction

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 4**

**Addiction**

**Song to listen to while reading: Voodoo by Godsmack**

Kurama quickly realized that for every drop of blood he gave the diary, it would give him a passage that had been written on it's pages. It seemed almost thirsty for his life blood, intent on consuming him little by little. And he let it, the sensation almost... addictive. Every time he read a new passage, he would feel a rush of victory and adrenaline. He should have been concerned. He should have noticed. To be honest, the old Kurama would have.

But now he was blinded to the truth, too caught up in the feeling, in a fairy tale of pain and betrayal, that he never saw the effects for what they really were. He never realized that he was slipping away from reality, becoming more and more lost in the adventure of a Sengoku miko. He didn't _want_ to see it.

Before his eyes, the writer spun her tale, weaving a web of love and anger so beguiling that he could see it all happening as if able to watch the events as they unfolded before _her_ eyes. Her heart-breaking romance captivated him immediately.

And, little by little, the once great thief king Kurama lost himself.

**This is drabble 4, using prompt no. 25, 'Little by Little'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, **_**no more**_**. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright). Feel free to drop a prompt my way! Nothing longer than 3 words, please.**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**

**As an aside: Next chapter, for the sake of plot, will have unlimited wording. *sweatdrop* You didn't honestly think I could do ALL of them with only 200 words each and a limit of 50 chapters? Seriously.**


	5. Not Himself

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 5**

**Not Himself**

**Song to listen to while reading: Stand my Ground by Within Temptation**

Kurama stepped into his room, annoyed with his mother's interruption. He wanted to get back to reading, and she kept coming up and bothering him. Honestly, it wasn't as if he had anything he needed to do. Why did people insist on bugging him?

Upon looking up, he very nearly growled in full blown fury. "What do _you_ want?" he demanded of the tiny male sitting on his window-sill, glaring back at him.

"Shut up, fox," Hiei replied, almost as irritated. "Did you forget? Koenma wanted us in Reikai. Two hours ago."

Red eyes stared at him, seeing through him, and Kurama slammed up his mental barrier, a little alarmed to find that it had even fallen, just in time to stop Hiei from delving deeper than his foremost thoughts. "What's it to _you_?" he retorted, hands fisting at his sides.

Hiei's eyes narrowed further, becoming slits, and he growled softly. "What is your problem, Kurama?" He stood, crossing his arms. "You're different."

The kitsune rolled his eyes. "I am not," he said, crossing over to his desk and searching it's surface for the diary. "Everyone else has just gotten more annoying recently." His own eyes narrowed. "Where is it?" He opened a drawer, thinking he might have put it there, but it wasn't. Turning on Hiei, he reached out and grabbed the hybrid's wrist, jerking him forward. "What did you do with it?" _The diary, give it to me. Give it back, Hiei._

Hiei knocked his hand away, jerking back with a sharp twist of his arm. _I didn't take it, baka kitsune_. He stretched out one hand, pointing toward Kurama's bed.

Kurama relaxed and darted to the futon - he remembered hiding it there, now - and assured himself that it was still safely under his pillow. Then he paused to wonder how Hiei had known... He threw a suspicious glare over his shoulder at the hiyokai, furious at the thought that Hiei might have searched his room. "Why are you here?"

"Koenma wants to see you," Hiei replied with an indifferent shrug, looking away.

_Did you tell him? Does he know?_ For a moment, Kurama panicked at the thought that Koenma might try to take the diary away from him. He hadn't finished reading yet! They couldn't have it! He wouldn't let them! It was his! He'd found it, he'd discovered it's secrets, he'd-

"No." Hiei's eyes were trained on him again. If Kurama were himself, he'd know that Hiei wouldn't have done that. It was a secret the kitsune had entrusted him with, and betraying that was a boundary that he wouldn't ever cross. But it was now startlingly apparent that Kurama _wasn't_ himself, and didn't know. He didn't even care anymore. The only thing that mattered to him was that damn book, and Hiei longed to burn it. Would have, in fact, if Kurama let it out of his sight for longer than a minute.

He should have done it while the fox was gone with his mother, now that the hybrid thought of it.

Kurama's emerald eyes widened a fraction, realization dawning. What w_as_ wrong with him? This wasn't like him; he trusted Hiei. He would continue to do so. Hiei wouldn't betray him; not after the Ghostslayer incident. "Of course. How silly of me," he murmured distractedly, staring down at the smooth leather cover. Smooth... When had it mended again? Wasn't it ruined by water before? He opened it and stared at the first page, down at the name. The name that was clear and legible.

Higurashi Kagome.

**This is drabble 5, using prompt no. 6, 'Boundary'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, no more. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright). Feel free to drop a prompt my way! Nothing longer than 3 words, please.**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**

**As an aside: For the sake of plot, this chapter had unlimited wording. *sweatdrop* You didn't honestly think I could do ALL of them with only 200 words each and a limit of 50 chapters? Seriously.**


	6. Final Battle

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 6**

**Final Battle**

This was it. The final battle. I could barely contain myself. I had lost so much and now it was time to end it all. I couldn't stand the wait. I knew no one understood, no one knew what had happened back in that cave, when I made the last wish on the jewel and destroyed it. They would never understand.

Tsubaki would have laughed, and Kikyo would never have the chance again. It was necessary, I knew, but it still wrankled. To think I would have chosen this path. I wouldn't have imagined it in the beginning. What a fool I was, then. I was so naive. So innocent. The thought makes me nauseous now.

However, with Inuyasha gone, and the great Sesshomaru-sama bound in the bottom of the sea, it was up to me to lead our band of merry men. Just me. Weak little me. The irony still makes me want to giggle, even as I stand here now in the aftermath. I took the only option I could, and committed evil to accomplish good.

And now I was alone, save precious, innocent Rin.

Heh. I told you they would never understand. They would never get to.

**This is drabble 6, using prompt no. 45, 'Last Wish'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, no more. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright).**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**


	7. Skin Deep

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 7**

**Skin Deep**

That night, Kurama dreamed of her. Ebony hair tumbling past slim, faintly muscled shoulders, blue eyes sparkling like sapphires in the darkness of a cave where she had once reabsorbed her missing half. Pale skin glistened like ivory as her pink aura darkened to a rich violet. She stared at him, cruelty borne of desperation and love.

_How sad it must have been_, he thought, _to live a life like that_.

However, despite the color of her hair, the hue of her eyes and the pallor of her skin, he couldn't make out her features. He continuously tried, but she only laughed at him, the sound haunted and ghoulish as it echoed against craggy rock in the dreamed up cavern.

_"I can't see you,_" he cried, desperate to glimpse her surely beautiful face. "_How can I see you?_"

A smirk twisted her mouth, ruby lips wet and dark. Bloody. "_See me? You remind me of a hanyo boy I once knew._" The sound of her voice cracked against his flesh like a whip. _"Perhaps you'll avenge me, demon boy?_"

_"But I never intended. I only want to see you,"_ he admitted, eyes downcast.

His answer was a bitter laugh. "_Of course._"

**This is drabble 7, using prompt no. 20, 'Can't See You'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, no more. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright).**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**


	8. Silence

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 8**

**Silence**

This is my prison, the consequence of my decision. Sweet, old Rin is dying. I can do nothing to save her. She will be gone before night fall. I have found that if I just don't care, when a loved one dies, I won't hurt as much. It's really a very neat trick.

You'll think I'm strange for saying so, but I am laughing right now. The thought that I find being apathetic - like Sesshomaru, but you know what they say (that is to say, 'learn from the best', of course) - 'neat' is... well... Inuyasha would probably call me a stupid wench.

Oh, yeah. Inuyasha. I haven't written about him in nearly fifty years, have I? It seems the jewel's taint effects my mind in so many ways; I forget more and more as the days pass. Will I some day forget him? Will I some day forget how to love? Will I be able to bear that?

Yes. Of course I will. If I forget, there is nothing to miss, right? Silly me. This ever increasing solitude must be muddling with my head. I think I'm going crazy.

Or maybe it's just the silence.

**This is drabble 8, using prompt no. 40, 'Solitude'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, no more. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright).**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**


	9. I Don't Believe It

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 9**

**You're Right, but I don't Believe It**

"You should bring it to Koenma." That was Hiei's suggestion, as he sat there on Kurama's bed while the redhead perused the book.

Kurama glanced up at him, frowning. "He'll take it away."

"Hn." Hiei looked away.

"I won't let him," Kurama replied fiercely, hands straining to cover the open book and hide it from view.

Hiei glared at him. "You're addicted to it, fox," he stated.

"I am not," the redhead protested, and no, he was absolutely not pouting. Dammit.

"You _are_," Hiei said firmly, "And I think you should give it to Koenma and have _him_ deal with it." He glared when Kurama opened his mouth to protest again. "I'm not going to force you, but I suggest that you do it, and soon. That," he pointed at the dairy that Kurama was trying in vain to conceal, "Is going to consume you from the inside, out. Literally."

Kurama sighed and looked down at the diary, letting himself read a few words before he remembered he was having a conversation with the fire demon. "You're right," he murmured absently, tucking his hair behind his ear.

"Hn." _**Of course I am. But when will you realize it? **_But the fox couldn't hear him.

**This is drabble 9, using prompt no. 5, 'Suggestion'. Each drabble is 200 words long exactly, no more. Each comes forth from a prompt (a little bit of a dedication to Forthright).**

**Disclaimer: All rights for YYH and IY go to their respective creators.**

**As an aside: Next chapter, for the sake of plot, will have unlimited wording. *sweatdrop* You didn't honestly think I could do ALL of them with only 200 words each and a limit of 50 chapters? Seriously. Also, where Hiei is thinking in both bold and italics is NOT his telepathy. It is his normal thoughts. Thanks.**


	10. Goodbye

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 10**

**Goodbye**

xXx

Kurama had begun to feel an urgency. It pulled at him, urged him, pushed him to read. More and more and more... It wouldn't let him stop. It held him entranced. He read and read, the days flew by, Hiei had stopped coming... And then-

It stopped. Kurama's eyes widened as he stared down at the last entry in the book, leaving five pages blank.

'_... and I won't write in here anymore. I won't be able to. With Rin gone and no purpose left, I can't sit here and live anymore. I will start searching for a way to die. I hope that someday, mom will be able to read this, but I won't keep my hopes up._

_Goodbye mom. Goodbye Sota. Goodbye Gramps. I love all of you. So very much. It's why this has happened. It's why I fought to protect everyone. But no one is left, and I'm so very alone. No longer is someone standing in the shadows, watching out for me. And I am no longer doing so for anyone else. I have no one to live for, so I will not continue on. I hope._

_No one will miss me._

_-Higurashi Kagome._'

Somehow, Kurama felt as if a piece of him had frozen forever.

xXx

**This drabble was written using the prompt 'standing in the shadows'.**


	11. Contact

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 11**

**Contact**

xXx

There was something intrinsically peaceful about walking through an empty street in the middle of Autumn. Kurama could feel the wind as it tossed his hair about like a new toy, despite the halfhearted ponytail he'd thrown it into before leaving the house. Around him, there was a quiet stillness seeping into asphalt and steel alike, clinging close and firm.

And yet, despite this, he was unsettled. No, _angry_ would be a better word for it. He felt cheated, abandoned. There was nothing left to read, nothing to feed his addiction.

(_And a part of him, deep, deep inside, cringed at the word. Not addicted. Not addicted. __**So**__ addicted._)

More than that, in the sudden absence of that world- of _Kagome's_ world, he felt _lonely_. As if his entire life had revolved around hers from the moment he first drew breath, and now it was all gone.

He drew to a stop on the sidewalk and closed his eyes, envisioning her again. Listening to her soft voice as she spoke the words right off the pages of her diary.

_'Sometimes it frightened me, how sad I was when he left. When he died.'_

"Don't be afraid," Kurama whispered, as if he could speak to her. His fingers tightened their grip on the book in his hands. _Don't be afraid_.

'_Sometimes I can still hear them screaming._'

Yes, he knew what that was like; he was no stranger to killing. The screams had haunted his dreams, the first few times. "It gets better."

'_Yes. It gets better._'

His eyes snapped open, and for a moment, he thought he saw her standing there before him. A smile on her face, her ebony hair fluttering around her in the wind. Blue eyes focused on him, so intense that they nearly blotted everything else out.

But then he blinked, and she was gone. Not a trace left behind. "Kagome?" he whispered, staring at that spot, where his dark translucent miko had stood only moments ago. _Please_.

There was no answer; he was not surprised.

xXx

**OMG. I'M BACK!? AHHHHH! THE SKY MUST BE FALLING! Also, in case you didn't notice, this is not word-count limited. *cough***

**Anyway, this one was done with the prompt 'the lonely' (which is actually the name of a song). For those of you whom have waited so patiently, THANK YOU. I'm glad this story is worth it. Apologies (many) for the long wait. I'll try not to make you wait so long again.**

**That being said, I am NOT giving this story up. I never intended to. I was just incredibly depressed, and life got busy, and I've got in contact with a Publisher whom is interested in my original work! So... yay. ^^; Review?**


	12. Hasteless

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 12**

**Hasteless**

**This chapter is dedicated to Kurama's Foxy Rose, who actually reminded me of the phone book in a review... heh.**

xXx

Late at night, Kurama woke up. The ceiling was blocked by a figure over him. Holding him down. Instantly, he was snarling and shoving them off. In a flicker, the small body vanished. "It's me," murmured a familiar voice.

Sitting up, the redhead glowered at his partner, standing before the window now. "I could have killed you," he snapped, furious. His fingers were already digging under his pillow, and when they slid along cool leather, slowed their haste. He tugged the book out and held it against his stomach.

His attention slipped, as always, when he stared down at the soft cover. It was new and unworn, as if only made yesterday. Kurama trailed his fingers over the cover, and stiffened when he sensed movement. _Hiei. That's right_.

He looked up, to find the muted red glow of the hiyokai's eyes on him. Hiei said nothing, but it was obvious to the kitsune that his partner was furious. "Give it to me," he snarled.

"_Get out_," Kurama growled in reply.

A beat, and then a disgusted scoff broke the silence. His partner left without another word, as Kurama looked back down at the book. _Book. Phone book._ His eyes widened; why hadn't he thought of it before? Kagome was from the future; from this time. Maybe...

Hurriedly, Kurama dashed into the hallway and down the stairs, skidding to a stop before the phone table in the front hall. There sat the white and blue phone book.

He didn't waste time looking her number up, and met success in moments. _Higurashi Shrine._ The same kanji as her family name, not to mention the only such shrine in the area.

Swallowing his sudden nerves, the kitsune picked up the phone without another word, dialing the number. He couldn't wait. He wouldn't. He wanted her, his Kagome, but first he needed to see what he could do to save her. That meant speaking with her family.

Even though... even though... _Even though I want you now, I must wait._ Patience. Patience.

Exhaling, he hit send. Five rings, and then a telltale click.

Kurama's lips stretched into a wide smile in the shadows of his home. "_Moshimoshi_."

xXx

**Inspired by the prompt 'I want you now'. Please review! ^^**


	13. Dead End

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 13**

**Dead End**

xXx

"_Moshimoshi_," was the response. "_We're sorry, but the Shrine occupants are not currently available. Please leave a message after the-_"

Kurama hung up, sighing. _Ah well._ He would try again tomorrow, after he'd slept. It was unfair of him to expect them to answer so early in the morning, after all.

"Shuichi-san?"

The redhead started and turned, spying his mother peeking around the corner. "I'm sorry, did I way you?" he murmured with a mild smile. "I was just... restless."

Shiori stepped fully into view and walked up to him, reaching up to feel his forehead. "You've been acting so strangely, Shuichi-san..." Her brow furrowed in concern. "Are you alright?"

He caught her hand and lowered it, gently. "I'm fine, okaasan," he replied. "Please, get some rest. I'll be going back to bed."

His mother searched his face – for what, he didn't know – before sighing and giving in with a tired nod. "Alright. Just... let me know, if you need me, okay?"

The redhead nodded. "I will, okaasan."

xXx

**Written with the prompt 'peeking'.**

**Also, I'd like to apologize to you guys! I accidentally posted the next chapter instead of this one. So, to make up for it, I'll be posting three! ^^;**


	14. Dearly Departed

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 14**

**Dearly Departed**

xXx

The obituary in the newspaper cemented his hopes, and made everything seem so much more like fate. Higurashi Soto, owner of the Shrine itself. Apparently, the shrine was passed over to her daughter – Higurashi Emiko – upon his death.

_Survived by his daughter, Emiko, and her two children, Sota and Kagome._

The words brought a mad smile to his face, and he went to the funeral time listed. His hand clutched a bouquet he'd grown himself as he stepped forward when the priestess asked if anyone had anything for the deceased.

_Flowers for you, old man_, he thought as he set them on the coffin lid and stepped back again. Kagome's mother barely met his gaze before she was looking down again. Eyes red and swollen, she gave him a perfunctory line of gratitude before sending him on his way.

The boy beside her scowled at him, like his grandfather's death was somehow _Kurama's_ fault.

The redhead offered him a neutral bow, and slipped away. He would make second contact again later.

xXx

**Created thanks to the prompt 'Flowers for you'.**

**Also, I'd like to apologize to you guys! I accidentally posted chapter 14 instead of 13. So, to make up for it, I'll be posting three! ^^;**


	15. Entranced

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 15**

**Entranced**

xXx

_It was all he could dream about, saving her. He would hold the book close, eyes squeezed shut, whispering words he never remembered in the morning. Around him, seen even through his closed eyelids, was a stark, transcendental white light._

_The book felt hot in his hands, alive. But then it was a book no more, but a girl. A naked, warm, living girl, staring up at him with eyes so blue they sought to freeze his heart. He couldn't breathe as he stared down at her. As she opened her mouth, showing perfect white teeth._

And he sat up straight in his bed, gasping for breath. His fingers would always be clutching the book, as if drawn to it even as he slept. Truly, he had gone mad from this hopeless, riveted addiction.

On one such day, when he sat up, he saw her standing there, translucent and ethereal. Smiling a wicked, bloody smile, and beckoning him. _Come to me, Kurama. Come, come..._

xXx

**Created due to the prompt 'transcendental'.**

**Also, I'd like to apologize to you guys! I accidentally posted chapter 14 instead of 13. So, to make up for it, I'll be posting three! ^^;**


	16. Barrier

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 16**

**Barrier**

xXx

To humans, a shrine was a sacred and safe place, where they could go to pray, or seek forgiveness, or escape strife. To demons, it was worse than the Devil's Realm. Worse than nights spent sleeping beneath a starless sky, drifting off to the brittle sound of bloodcurdling screeches.

The pure reiki would skitter across a demon's skin, like sparks of sakura-pink electricity. Seeking weaknesses and worn skin, under which to burrow deep and destroy the perceived threat.

The Higurashi Shrine had an aura that none could dare compare to that. Just standing before the Torii arch was akin to being filleted alive. Kurama sincerely suspected that if it weren't for his human shell, he would be writhing on the ground right now.

_Such power_, he thought breathlessly, staring up at the red-painted wood of the gate. He was in terror and awe of the simple majesty of the being that called this place 'home'; surely she couldn't even be called _human_.

No, such a creature could only claim the title 'god'.

xXx

**Brought about by the prompt 'the Devil's Realm'.**

**Sorry this one's late! I'll be sure to keep up next week.**


	17. The Keeper

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 17**

**The Keeper**

xXx

For a moment, Kurama floundered, wondering what he was to do next. He had little time to fret, though, for in the following instant, the barrier fluttered and eased. A figure stepped up to the edge of its reach, and Kurama half expected it to be _her_. That mad, cruel woman that haunted his dreams of late, like a wraith waiting to consume his soul.

Instead, he got a youth, not a boy yet not a man either. Hard eyes were staring down at him as the teen stood there, jaw tight with both anger and fear.

After a moment, he spoke. "What do you want." Not a question, a statement. It said, 'we don't want you here'.

With the words, the power of the Shrine's protective shield surged, times three. Kurama saw stars and struggled to let his feet keep their grip on the stone beneath him. _The barrier's his!_ he realized abruptly, chest constricting.

But no, not quite. The barrier wasn't _of_ his making, it was merely held in _place_ by him. The source of the barrier was older, by years; however, its original anchor was not present any longer.

_Except_... except his hand was too hot on the book within it. _The barrier knows its master is home..._

xXx

**Brought about due to the prompt 'stars'.**

**Gomen, gomen for the late update... *coughs* I forgot to update. Lol Thanks, Kurama's Foxy Rose, for reminding me.**


	18. Admittance

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 18**

**Admittance**

xXx

Kurama lifted the book, holding it before him like an offering, or a shield, and walked. Step by step upwards, drawing ever nearer the boy. The closer he got, the hotter the book felt. Burning like a billion suns condensed into a single bound spot within the leather casing.

He wanted to drop it, to scream, to flee. Flee, and live, as every instinct he possess begged for him to do. He ignored it, forged on, breath a thing forgotten, just like anger and sorrow and self-desire.

All that existed was the diary before him. It was starting to glow; pink at first, but soon the color became shadowed, warping into a wretched, tormented violet. The closer he got, the more it darkened, consuming everything pure it had once been.

The pain was nearly unbearable. However, Kurama was not one to fear the reaper, and soon enough, he stood within the barrier. There, he crumbled, shuddering at the dual sensations ripping his nerves to pieces. The sense of being cooked alive, and at the same time, cooled and comforted. Protected.

Kagome was protecting him from death, but the boy – Sota – did not look to be as forgiving.

And Kurama was now defenseless.

xXx

**Created due to the prompt 'Don't fear the reaper'.**

**Second update, cuz Foxy said 'pretty please' and I like it when people have manners. XDD Here you go, dear!**


	19. Pulling Strings

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 19**

**Pulling Strings**

xXx

However, in that moment, Sota stopped. His gaze shifted, dark blue eyes taking in the book still clutched tightly in Kurama's hands. "Neechan..." He swallowed. "Why do you have neechan's diary?"

Kurama didn't have the strength to answer. He barely had the strength to...

..._stay awake._

"_Kurama," she whispered, sitting upon a beautifully carved wooden stool. She was smiling at him, a beatific expression that seemed far too innocent for her tragic face._

_His eyes traced over the scar on her cheek. Three jagged purple lines impressed upon the tanned flesh for ever and ever._

"_From Sesshomaru," she said softly. "When I brought him up from the sea, to be my companion. He tried to kill me. He'd become... a lost thing. A beast that had forgotten how to breathe, and feared the freedom of it."_

_He licked his dry lips, and reached out to her. "Not yet, dear puppet. Not until you've traversed the road not yet taken. Find that path, and follow it, and we will be together. We can be one, forever." Her blue eyes seemed to darken with her smile as she murmured, "You will be mine._"

He woke up, screaming for a terror that was already forgotten.

xXx

**Written with the prompt 'the road not taken'.**

**Sorry it's been so long! I was... poking at things. Lol. Thank you for reading, and remember that reviews not only inspire me, they remind me I haven't updated in a while. XD**


	20. Deceiver

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 20**

**Deceiver**

xXx

Kurama found himself in a tree. A beautifully ancient, powerful tree, thrumming with magic that seemed to go on forever. It was protective, and warm, and loving. Just lurking near it made the ache in his heart lessen.

However, he could not devote his attention to this beauty just yet. He had company; an unfamiliar face, and yet known to him all the same. Pale skin, gold eyes, and smooth stripes on aristocratic cheekbones.

"Sesshomaru," Kurama murmured, feeling his own yoki stirring. It was impossible that the man would be here, now. Or at all. Something was wrong, somehow this wasn't quite...

His eyes, pitifully human but serviceable all the same, darted around. _Still in the shrine._ "She killed you."

Sesshomaru sneered as he looked up at the kitsune. "She tried," he replied flatly. "I am not so easy to be rid of."

"You _attacked_ her!" Now he was angry. How dare this man approach him? _I'll kill you._

The implied threat went ignored; but then, Sesshomaru probably had no cause to worry, anyway. "Is that what she said?" Those old eyes – so much older than Kurama's – narrowed. "She lied."

xXx

**Written with the prompt 'impossible'.**

**A second update, 'cause it's been so long since I posted. Lol Thanks for reading.**

**Review to remind me that I haven't updated! It also inspires me. XD**


	21. Jolted Free

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 21**

**Jolted Free**

xXx

The roots surged up from the soil, but Sesshomaru avoided them with ease, lashing out at the kitsune with a whip of pure acid. It burned the trunk of the tree, and Kurama moved to retaliate in rage-

Except then he was hurting all over, dropping to writhe on the ground. Sesshomaru was worse off, he knew, but less free about allowing it to show. The daiyokai had dropped to his knees with a grunt, teeth gritted.

"You ingrate," he snarled furiously.

"Stop fighting! You'll hurt the Goshinboku! You'll hurt _Kagome-neechan_!" a familiar voice shot back, from somewhere in the vicinity of the Shrine proper.

And there were words in his head, painfully familiar words. _'Fox. Are you injured? I can't get in. Do you need help?'_

Hiei's near frantic attempts to enter were making the barrier overhead ripple. '_How much pain you must be in, old friend_,' Kurama thought, feeling dizzy. Feeling agony for more than just the physical. He'd actually lashed out at his _partner_, of all people...

'_Don't give me that bullshit! He's going to kill you!_'

"D-don't worry... Hiei," the redhead whispered, forcing himself onto his hands and knees. "I'm waking up."

He felt more than saw the specter appear behind him. Felt more than saw the black-tinted aura encase his body. Felt more than saw ghostly fingers tug at his clothing to help him up.

"Stop this. I'll listen. Stop hurting him. She wouldn't want that." Kurama swallowed; the agony was still a vibrant presence, but it was bearable now. He could tolerate it this way. "The old Kagome wouldn't."

xXx

**Written with the prompt 'I'm waking up'.**

**SO sorry for the long absence. Here you go!**


	22. Questions, but No Answers

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 22**

**Questions, But No Answers**

xXx

Kurama drew a slow breath as they sat in the kitchen of the Higurashi family home. Emiko had already excused herself, saying she couldn't handle anymore bad news. Frankly, the kitsune didn't blame her.

Before Sesshomaru, on the dining table, sat the diary. He regarded it with a mixture of emotions that didn't quite make it to his face but were hinted at by the flux of his yoki. Most, Kurama suspected, were feelings he couldn't even fathom. Long had the daiyokai been a mystery to all, and meeting him in person didn't change that one bit.

Hiei stood behind Kurama's chair, watching Sota's every move like he expected the boy to try attacking again. However, to be honest, Sota was too busy trying not to cry. He was only a boy, after all...

'_Hiei, relax. I told you everything is fine._'

His partner didn't offer any response, and didn't relent in his glaring.

Kurama sighed and stared at the book that Sesshomaru had already flipped through – carefully – before shoving away from him in contempt. "This," the daiyokai finally murmured, one claw _tap tap tapping_ against the glossy tabletop, "is disgusting. To think her view of life was so skewed by the end, that she saw even her friends as enemies. Truly, the miko was a pitiful creature."

Kurama clamped down on a sudden surge of petty anger at the denouncement. _Get ahold of yourself. You are __**not**__ the miko's puppet!_

"What I don't understand," the redhead began, drawing their attention, "is how it came to me." He looked up at the two strangers. "How did it come to be laying in that puddle when I passed by? Who had it before that? What happened to her? How did she die, and come to possess this book?"

"Die?" Sesshomaru gave him an appraising look. "I had heard rumors, but I did not think anyone capable of dealing with her." The corners of his lips turned down and firmed with his displeasure. "She was powerful, and stubborn. No other had possessed her abilities since Midoriko."

Sota sniffled. "That's the miko that made the Shikon, right? Through... like, magic or something."

"Hn. Reiki," Sesshomaru corrected, gaze shifting back down to the leather book. He began to reach out, as if to touch it, but Hiei's yoki spiked. As with any self-respecting demon, the daiyokai immediately sought out the threat with his eyes and frowned again.

Hiei sneered back at him. "Don't touch it any more than you have," he grunted. "Or you'll become as obsessed as the idiot fox was."

Kurama gave him a reproving look at that, but he couldn't deny the hiyokai's words. He _had_ been obsessed. _Addicted_. Hopelessly. If not for Sota's reiki, he would be still.

Sighing, the redhead slumped back slightly on his cushion. "None of that really answers any of my queries," he muttered. Sesshomaru hadn't even tried; had merely given Kurama more questions.

Cold golden eyes lifted to meet green. "No, it doesn't," he agreed, and seemed irritated with the situation himself.

_Then he doesn't know._

'_Seems that way,_' Hiei agreed.

xXx

**Made with the prompt 'magic'.**

**Foxy, you make me feel guilty. So I'm updating. Just for you. (Yes, ego-stroking works. Go figure.) Anyway, peeps! Ask questions. Seriously, if you don't understand something, ask. It's JUST possible I can give you the answer. If I can't, I'll say so (but it will be explained in the story). However, occasionally, someone asks a question to which the answer hadn't occurred to me. So... it's good for the story too.**

**Review? ? ?**


	23. The Tajiya Spell

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 23**

**The Tajiya Spell**

xXx

It was inevitably concluded that they had to bring the matter to Koenma's attention. And so they did. Within half an hour, Yusuke, Botan and the ruler had arrived, though the deity had seen fit to take his older guise for the occasion.

For several long moments, Koenma and Botan conferred quietly together over the diary, until Yusuke got frustrated and nudged the ruler in the ass with his foot. "Oy, would ya hurry it up already? It should be a simple exorcism, right? Let's just destroy the book and be done with it."

"No, that's not possible," Koenma began as the book started to glow. "It-"

And then let out an ear-piercing, mind-raping shriek. Everyone in the room clapped their hands vainly over their ears until it stopped, as abruptly as it had begun.

Koenma, whom had transformed into his toddler state due to lack of concentration, groaned. "It defends itself," he finished with a pained wince. "It's been created to seal away the evil creature that possesses it." He frowned. "The spell is one I haven't seen in a very long time."

"You know it?" Kurama breathed, and clamped down on the surge of glee he felt. _Not a puppet, not a puppet._

Climbing to his feet again, Koenma hummed. "Yes, I know _of_ it. It's a Tajiya spell."

Yusuke huffed out a relieved breath. "Great! So tell me how to either exorcise the spirit, or destr-" He paused, giving the book a leery look, and amended, "Or determine the best way of... dealing... with it."

There were frowns from each of them, directed at the Toshin. "What?!" Yusuke sputtered, and Koenma rolled his eyes.

"It's _not_ that simple, Yusuke! If it was, do you think such a dangerous thing would still exist?!" the demi-god ranted. Yusuke looked like he was about to answer – likely with an unimpressed _yes_ – but wasn't given the opportunity. "No! In order to free ourselves of the problem, we'd have to release the miko trapped inside. Only _then_ can we destroy her." He clapped both hands over his mouth.

They all looked at the book for a beat, before relaxing. Sesshomaru spoke up then. "You have provided us with quite the impossible solution," he murmured.

A huff drew their attention to the sole pure human in the room. "Nothing's impossible," Sota said, with the air of someone that knew better than them. "Improbable. Unlikely. But never impossible."

xXx

**Brought about by the prompt 'Improbable'.**

**Anyone that recognizes that quote, gets a cookie. And possibly a second update. No googling. I'll require proof.**


	24. The Condition

**Empty Pages**

**Chapter 24**

**The Condition**

xXx

Kurama stared ahead of him, at the still waters of the underground lake hidden in the depths of the mountains. This would be simple; he could do it with ease, right?

It _should_ be simple. But it wasn't.

"_What do you mean?" Koenma asked, blinking wide eyes at the Higurashi boy._

_Sota gulped quietly. "Well... I've been learning. Obviously. Otherwise... I wouldn't be able to use the barrier right?"_

_He had a point; Kurama felt foolish for not considering this earlier. "Who's been teaching you, Higurashi-san?" he asked, eyes narrowing._

_The boy lifted his chin in a display of challenge. "The Tajiya clan. Descended from Miroku-sama and Sango-dono," he said firmly, as if they would dare contest his claims._

"_Then what is your solution?" Sesshomaru asked, eying the child. No, not a child, not anymore. A young man, now. So different from Kagome's descriptions in her diary, so much more than the little boy she'd left behind._

_Sota frowned at the daiyokai. "We have to go to them. They'll know more, I guarantee it."_

_All eyes shifted to Koenma, who hummed thoughtfully. "It's possible," he conceded. "The Tajiya are a very private people. Not even I know all their secrets."_

_Hiei scoffed, but uncrossed his arms; clearly ready to leave right that minute. "Then let's pay them a visit. Show us where, Higurashi."_

"_Hai," Sota said, trying and failing to hide his wariness of them. "On one condition."_

Kurama exhaled, and took a step into the pristine, glassy expanse before him. One condition; retrieve the Tetsusaiga and return it to the Higurashi shrine.

xXx

**Written with the prompt "Still Waters".**

**Update brought to you by im ur misconception, whom was lovely enough to peg that quote last chapter!**


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